Not Enough Time

Well, I've been working on my second speech.  This one is an informative speech.  We just have to inform the class on something.  Anything.  The problem with such a broad spectrum to choose from is that I keep changing my mind!  I finally settled on talking about some things to do and see in Crawford County, Ohio.  I live in Bucyrus, the county seat of Crawford County. The school I'm attending is in Marion County just slightly south, so I thought there might be some information I can share that would be new to the class. I am going to talk about the Bratwurst Festival held in Bucyrus, the Dutchtown Hatchery Festival in New Washington and the underground Speak Easy back in Bucyrus. I have the speech written, but haven't had much time to actually practice!  We've been getting things put together for my Father-in-Law's funeral.  Calling hours are tomorrow and the funeral is Monday.  I have to do my speech on Tuesday.

Here's a condensed version of Main Point 1 on my speech:

Bucyrus claims to the Bratwurst Capital of America. The town has a strong German heritage and many Bucyrus butchers over the years have created their own recipes for Bratwurst.  The most well know is Carle's. They have a nice store in town that sells lots of meats and cheeses.  It's a favorite stop for visitors to town.  Anyway, with such a background, the Bratwurst Festival was first held in 1968.  It's called the Eatingest Festival in Ohio because there are so many food stands.  Bratwurst is grilled on open flames and is so good, especially with sauerkraut on a rye bun.  Yum!  The festival also has a queen's pageant, 3 parades, live entertainment and rides.  It's a lot of fun.  

If you're ever in Ohio the third weekend of August, you should stop on by!  It's actually held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  

I'll tell you about the Harvest Festival tomorrow!

Talk to you later!!

Ups and Downs

Just a quick post today.  I wanted to let you know that my speech went well.  I missed a few things here and there, but it turned out to be pretty good.  The class seemed to like it and best of all I got 100% from the teacher!  I was so excited and so glad it was over.  Of course, another one is coming up next Tuesday, January 27th, but I took some time to enjoy my success.  By the way, my speech was on How to Take a Selfie!  I might print it on here one day.

That was the up side for this week.

Today, was quite the opposite.  We received word that my father-in-law passed away at about noon today.  He had been in failing health for about a month, but we really thought he would bounce back. Tomorrow the arrangements will need to be made.  It's gonna be a tough few days.  I am so glad that we have God to lean on in these times.  He will supply the strength for this family to get through this, and we'll come out the other side remembering what a great man John was.

I need to get to bed early tonight, so that's all I have for tonight.  Prayers are greatly appreciated.

Until we talk again, may peace fill your souls.

Speeches and Bella!

Haven't been on for a few days because I've been swamped trying to get my speech together, visual aids done and practicing.  Tomorrow is the day!  I think I'm ready.  I know what I want to say if I can just spit it out!  I get tongue tied as soon as I start talking out loud.  I was up til 4:30 in the morning last night practicing!  Today my friend, Barb, at the library was kind enough to let me practice with her.

I also had to start researching on the speech I'll have to give on the 27th.  Whew - the pressure is on. And this is only the first class on my college journey.  I do believe, however, that once I get through these speeches, I'll feel better about the rest of the upcoming classes. My mantra these days is, "I can do this, I can do this!"  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.  I'm just glad there will be a lectern to hold onto.

Not much else exciting going on in my world.  I've just been concentrating on being ready for my speech.  I have been having a lot of fun with my kitty, Bella, though.  We got her from the Humane Society in October, 2014.  She was about 5 weeks old then.  She is all black which seemed quite appropriate since we were getting her right before Halloween.  Bella is short for Belladonna since we were trying to come up with a good black-cat name.

Anyway, Bella has started playing fetch these days.  We don't have a dog, so I'm not sure how she got the idea.  But she will carry one of her cat toys in to where I'm sitting and lay it down.  Then she starts rubbing on my leg and mewing like crazy.  At first I didn't know what in the world she wanted. But my husband told me to pick the toy up and throw it into the other room.  Sure enough, she will run and get the toy and bring it back for me to throw again!  Wish I could get it on film to send in to America's Funniest Videos!  Just love my kitty though.  She makes me laugh. (Here's a picture of her snuggling in my laundry basket.)

What else can I tell you.  Oh yes, we watched the movie, Earth to Echo this past weekend.  Have you seen it?  It's really a cute movie.  That's about all I have to say today! I'll talk to you again soon!

Class Overload 2

First I just have to say, WAY TO GO OHIO STATE BUCKEYES!!!

National Champions.  O H - I O

Now I have that out of my system!  I had my first full class of Oral Communications this evening. I'm trying to wind down now so I can go to bed!  I have so many thoughts going through my head that I know I won't be able to fall asleep just yet.

We have to give our first speech next Tuesday.  I will be the 6th one to speak, and I am more confused about it tonight than I was before I went!  Our first speech has to be a "To Do" informative talk.  In other words, we have to talk about how to do something.  I think I mentioned before that I don't really know how to do anything that would make an interesting speech.

This last week I did some brainstorming with my daughter and granddaughter.  We came up with doing something on how to take the perfect selfie!  Took me awhile to come up with enough content to do a 3 - 7 minute talk, but finally got quite a few ideas down on paper.  Was feeling good until class started!  Ms. Cleo's first point on her first PowerPoint slide was, "Say something worthwhile, useful and pertinent".  She then went on to remind us that this was college and our speeches should be reflective of higher learning!  Well I could hear my bubble bursting.  Honestly, how worthwhile and pertinent is a speech on how to take a selfie!

Seriously, I was in a fog for most of the rest of the class wondering what I would talk about now.  I'd already put in several days of work on my idea.  Trust me, not only is my body sagging going into the late Autumn of life, but apparently my mind just doesn't work as quickly either.  Absolutely nothing was coming to me.  What finally got my gears turning again was when a girl in the back asked if it was okay for a speech to be about something that may seem trivial at the beginning but actually had a deeper purpose by the finish?  Ahh, now there's a thought.  Ms. Cleo looked a bit puzzled at first, but she then became intrigued and gave the all clear sign.

On my way home, I began to think about why I was even considering something on a seemingly frivolous topic anyway.  Finally the simplicity of the answer came shining through.  It is all about relationship.  My relationship with my 13-year old granddaughter.  She is the queen of selfies and was more than happy to help me out on this project.  Little things like this just bring us closer together and build a forever relationship.  Obviously, we have the grandparent/granddaughter thing going, but this is something deeper yet.  A real friendship.

I think I do have the makings of a speech.  I will let you all know how it goes!

God bless!  Talk to you later.

(Any ideas on how to "promote" a blog to reach more readers?)

Take all my Burdens

One of my Facebook friends posted the prayer below today.  It spoke to my heart and I asked permission to borrow it!  The item in brackets is my addition.  I hope this touches you as well. 

"Lord, today, as every day this past week, I ask that you give me strength and patience as I continue to trust you and wait on you.  You know my burdens, you know my heart and you know my needs.  I continue to lay my burden down at your feet, not pick them up and try to fix things on my own (I need reminders to not do that).  I love you, trust you, and worship you.  I pray a blessing over my family especially my children {and grandchildren} and ask that you cover them with your wings of love, safety, and salvation.  I pray for their hearts to turn to you and they ask you to guide their lives.  I pray for eyes to be opened, hearts to be softened.  I pray a hedge of protection around them and ask for them to hear your truths and deny satan's lies.  I love you Lord, I know you are for us, not against us and you are in control.  Not my will, not my kids' will, but yours be done, in all our lives.  You have already won the battle although it feels like a battle brewing in this life.  I choose to trust you and not listen to the lies of satan.  I cry out to you, Lord, to take over!  I pray all these things in Jesus' name, Amen."

Praying you all have a great week. Til we talk again!

One Word

K-Love radio station is my favorite. I listen to it most of the time. If you don't know, it's a wonderful contemporary Christian music station with the the tag line positive and encouraging. It is exactly that!

Recently one of the on-air hosts was recommending a Web site www.MyOneWord.org.  The premise is the futility of New Year's resolutions. How many times have you made a resolution fully determined to stick to it only to have given up by spring? That is totally what I would do.  Usually I would determine to lose weight or eat healthier.  It just never seemed to work.  Honestly, as long as there is chocolate and potatoes in the world, I don't have a chance!

However, the My One Word site instead suggests picking just one word for the year. This one word should reflect something that God is going to do internally in your life this year.  On the other hand, resolutions are usually an external change that you decide to make on your own. I've heard people talk about their "word for the year" but never really grasped the purpose behind this practice.  Check out the site. It makes sense.

So for this year I'll try another new thing and make my word Renewal. Renewal in my spirit and in my mind. I really believe this is a God thing. Beginning with my decision to go back to school.  Yes, my daughter finally got me headed in that direction, but I have to believe that God's hand was in the situation.  Everything this year so far is moving in the direction of new things - renewal.  I'm excited about the prospects and a little afraid. But with the Lord on my side, I can do this!

On the college front, I've had a lot of reading to get done and four quizzes to do before class on the thirteenth.  I have read 4 chapters so far and took the four quizzes.  I am now at a 96.3%.  I really hope to keep to 100% for a least a little while!  But it's okay.  Some of the questions are a bit tricky, and sometimes I tend to over-think.  I should know to go with my first instinct and not second guess myself.

Still having weird dreams though.  The chapter I was reading before bed last night was on research. My dreams had me freaking out because my husband threw out my Reader's Digest magazines and I was convinced I needed them for my research!  It was tense in my dream.  When I got up today, though, I had to laugh because I don't get the Reader's Digest and wouldn't be using that for research anyways. My nerves are still a bit on edge and it's only been one class!

That's about all I can think of for today.  Talk to you all again soon!

Misc thoughts

Been checking out some other places to see blogs and decided to join the Blogspot community.  Still testing the waters.  Boy some of the blogs are quite an eyeful!  Yep pictures are added.  I might be too old for those.

I found one that gave me a couple of ideas.  So I'm going to share a few random facts about me.

1. Some of my favorite TV shows are Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Downton Abbey, CSI, Criminal Minds and Hannibal.  Wonder what a psychiatrist would say about me?  I like weird!

2. I hate, hate, hate winter.  I used to love it as a kid and went out to build snow forts.  Many times they would start as tunnels into the big snow drifts in our front yard.  But as I've said, "as I grow older" the cold just doesn't agree with me any longer.  I would love to live in Tennessee or Georgia.

3. Been having a small crisis of faith lately - sort of.  Trying to get the fire back!

4. I love to read and they have to be suspense and/or murder stories.  Again, how would that above mentioned psychiatrist like that!  Used to read anything Stephen King wrote until he killed off the little boy in Cujo.  I got mad at him and haven't read his books since.  I bet he was crushed.

5. I really love musicals and Broadway shows.  I'd like to see Into the Woods on stage.  Watched the movie and am now really curious about the play. I've seen Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Wicked, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.

6.  Cooking is a totally foreign concept to me.  I just don't have the patience to wait on things.  If I put an egg on to boil, I'll go get involved in doing something else and burn the egg and pan up before I realize the kitchen is smoking! I have one daughter who follows in my footsteps and another who can cook anything.  I don't know where she got her talent!

I suppose that's enough randomness for now.   I will also be throwing in made-up names in my posts instead of just he, she, the teacher, etc. You are now notified that the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Thanks bloggergirl42.blogspot.com for the ideas.  (I changed my template.  What do you think?)

Class Overload

First I want to admit that it has taken me two days to figure out how to do another post on this blog! But figured it out, I did.  Yea me!

Anyway, last night was my first night of my new college journey. And it was an adventure.  For the last few nights before going to class, I had the weirdest dreams.  I would be wandering around the halls of some nameless school trying to find the right room and never finding anyone to help me.  Or, I would be driving around, talking to someone on my cell phone and telling them that I wasn't going to make it to class and I really should call someone and let the school know.  In one, I just couldn't make myself get out of bed at all.  Yes, anxiety was trying hard to hold me down.

It wasn't a whole lot better all day Tuesday.  I had a hard time concentrating at work and was overcome with such an urge to hunt down some chocolate and eat it all!  As I was driving to Marion I it felt as if something was squeezing my chest.  The pressure was so annoying,  I really thought I needed more chocolate.  (Chocolate cures all that ails you.  That's a fact!)  It wasn't just that I was starting college making me nervous, but also knowing that the first class would be Oral Communications.  The thought of giving a speech was paralyzing.  The last time I got up in front of a class to give a speech was in 7th grade.  And that ended with me passing out.  I fell straight back and hit my head on the chalk board.  I remember now, that when I finally came to and realized what had happened, my first thought was that I would never have to do a speech again!  It didn't work.  My teacher just had me do my next speech sitting at her desk. And, apparently I am about to do another. Oh my.

As the fates would have it, I made it to school safe and sound. Found the class room.  Played the good student card and sat in the front row.  My daughter was there from the college and just asked me to please not faint!  She greeted me as Sylvia See - to keep things professional.  That was so strange to hear!  The first 2 1/2 hours had various speakers telling us about the program, tutoring opportunities, how to find our class assignments online, the library and so on.  A lot of information was jammed into that short time. And today, if you asked me what info was presented the only part I remember is when the Dean of the ASAP program explained to us why it was considered an accelerated program.  It boils down to this:  A "traditional" class runs for 16 weeks with 48 hours of classroom instruction.  Our class will run 5 weeks with 20 hours of instruction.  We will be expected to have 12 to 20 hours of homework a week.  Talk about my brain exploding at that point!  Then to top it off we all had to have our picture taken!  My daughter failed to mention that little fact.

The last hour and a half was the first portion of Oral Communications.  Love the teacher.  She put me, and I assume the whole class, right at ease.  She was so down to earth and approachable.  I was surprised to realize that the anxiety had slipped away at some point.  Either that or I was comatose from suddenly realizing how much homework I was going to have!  Our teacher jumped right in with our syllabus.  We have five weeks of class and will be giving three speeches in that time.  The first will be given on January 20th.  It's a speech on how to do something.  Well, I know how to type and . . . well, not sure what else!  Should be a short speech!

After giving us that exciting information, we had to find someone we didn't know and interview them.   Easy for me, because I didn't know anyone.  Once the interviews were done, each pair had to get up in front and introduce the person we interviewed.  I am so proud to let you all know that I did not pass out!

We got out just a hair before 10:00 and as I was driving home, I really felt good about everything. Still a bit overwhelmed, but I think I'll be okay. I did feel like I needed to reward myself, though, so I went through McDonald's and had a Caramel Frappe.  I think I "deserved a break" yesterday. 

Today I read the first chapter in our book (we have to read through chapter 10 by next week), and took my first quiz.  I got 9 out of 9 correct!  So far, I'm at 100%.  

Yep.  I'm really doing this.  Woot!  Woot!

Not Too Old

Many times I have heard that you are never too old to . . . . . (fill in the blank); however, I never really took this adage to heart.  There are so many days I feel too old for most everything.  Every time I have a doctor’s appointment for this or that, the doctor will invariable say something like, “You know, as you age . . .”!  Or when shopping for clothes I’ve been told that “as your body ages, things move around”.  And on and on and on.   Thanks everyone, but tell me something I don’t know.  But honestly, can I really be too old for everything. 

I love going for walks.  I’m pretty good at my job.  I read a lot. I watch TV and play mindless computer games.  And, well, we eat out a lot.  Hmm, doesn’t sound very exciting I guess.  I have to admit, I’m not very good at trying new things.  I think I’ve become too comfortable in my own little world and don’t step outside to see what’s out there to discover.  Am I too old to discover?  These were things I mulled on for several months last summer.  But I never really made an effort to change anything.

Thanks goodness for my daughter.  She has a good way of getting people out of their funk, and she gave me just the push I needed.  Sure, my body has changed its shape, and my eyesight isn’t as good as it was once.  But so what!  I don’t feel that old.  In fact I am shocked when I look in the mirror and see this old person looking back at me.  In my mind’s eye, I’m only 35, but no younger.  (I don’t ever want to go through high school again!)

So, what did my daughter get me into?  Going to college!  I have now signed up for an accelerated adult student program to get a degree in Business Management.  I don’t have a business to manage, and am not sure where this will lead, but I have always regretted not going to college.

I jumped right into the process.  Step one was to fill out the FAFSA forms.  Let me tell you, they have certainly simplified this process since I had to do these for my daughters!  That was a blessing. Next, I applied to the college and requested my transcripts.  I really had to wonder what good it would do to know what my grades were in high school – well over 30 years ago.  I actually took typing – on a real typewriter.  We used Xerox paper!  There are young people today that don’t know what a typewriter is used for, other that some kind of retro decoration.  I ran into this issue at work when a sweet 21-year old did a money order for a customer who then wanted their address added to the remitter line.  I was walking through the lobby when she asked me if I knew how to make the typewriter in the back room put words on this check!  I helped her out, but then the roles were reversed the very next day.  My granddaughter put Instagram on my phone, and I didn’t have the first idea of what to do with it.  My young co-worker helped me out! 

But I digress.  After the process was completed, I was accepted to the college. Then after I submitted an essay on how I would find the time to do homework and was interviewed, I was admitted to the program.  (Homework – now that is a scary thought.) Very soon after, I was contacted by the kind finance people to let me know that I was not eligible for any grants or scholarships, but I could file some more information and get a student loan.  As it turns out, I’m not too old to incur additional debt!  Thank goodness my daughter was able to provide me with two of the books I need for the Spring Semester.  That only left one more for me to order.  I did that today and it was only $130.00!  I’d better learn something really good from that book!

So here I am at 56, with a brand new Student ID, textbooks, a tote bag and a schedule telling me that I will be tying up every Tuesday for the next 28 months from 6 – 10 PM in a college classroom.  Tomorrow I go for orientation and then the first hour of my first class - "Oral Communication".  Oh dear Lord, what was I thinking!!

My motto for 2015 is “All Things New Again”.  Here I go with a renewed resolve to try new things, step out of my comfort zone and live a fuller life.  My second new thing is starting this blog!  Here I go!